Together, America Prospers

Rural Partners Network: 

Building Stronger Futures Together

Through the Rural Partners Network, rural people and communities benefit 

from collaborative partnerships among an association of federal agencies, 

staff and programs.

USDA Rural Development (RD) is leading the Rural Partners Network in 

collaboration with 20 federal agencies and regional commissions through 

the Rural Prosperity Interagency Policy Council, co-led by the White 

House Domestic Policy Council and USDA.

What is the Rural Partners Network?

Through the Rural Partners Network (RPN), the Biden-Harris Administration is taking action to 

transform the way the federal government partners with rural communities to spur inclusive, 

sustainable economic growth. The RPN creates an alliance of federal agencies and civic 

partners working to expand rural prosperity through job creation, infrastructure development, 

and community improvement. The RPN will improve equitable access to federal programs and 

funding, and help drive local economic development.

With the RPN, federal agencies are renewing their commitment to rural communities by 

expanding interagency collaboration and providing targeted staffing, tools, and resources.
How is the Rural Partners 

Network different?

Rural communities sometimes struggle to get financial or 

technical assistance from highly competitive programs 

based in individual federal government agencies.

The Rural Partners Network introduces a new way of 

doing business: a collaboration among federal agencies 

meant to improve access to government resources, 

staffing and tools. Participating agencies designate key 

points of contact who focus specifically on rural strategies, 

improving visibility and attention to rural issues.

The Rural Partners Network also puts federal staff on the 

ground to support designated, economically challenged 

communities. Known as “Community Liaisons,” these 

federal employees provide local leaders with the 

expertise to navigate federal programs. Community 

Liaisons help build relationships and identify additional 

resources to get the job done. As their work progresses, 

the lessons learned will impact future federal rural policy 

development and investment strategies.

RPN field staff are tasked with feeding key information 

to federal agencies regarding community needs and 

barriers to accessing federal resources. Agencies 

will then use this information to drive policy changes to 

address the unique challenges faced by rural 

communities. As a result, RPN will not only support pilot 

sites and activities, but will inform changes that make 

the federal government better deliver for all rural 

communities. Through this new, direct line between rural 

communities and Washington, D.C., the Biden-Harris 

Administration is changing “business-as-usual” by 

working across agencies to coordinate technical 

assistance to rural communities, share rural data and 

measures of success, and align grant requirements.

Which federal agencies are 

RPN members?

• Department of Agriculture

• Department of Commerce

• Department of Education

• Department of Energy

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Department of Health and Human Services

• Department of Housing and Urban Development

• Department of the Interior

• Department of Labor

• Small Business Administration

• Department of Transportation

• Department of the Treasury

• Department of Veterans Affairs

• Appalachian Regional Commission

• Delta Regional Authority

• Denali Commission

• Northern Border Regional Commission

• Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

• Social Security Administration

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

RPN Implementation

In the RPN’s first year, we will:

1. Hire additional federal staff to work exclusively in up to

32 rural communities in mulitiple U.S. states, Tribal

Nations, and territories

2. Introduce a whole-of-government website,

https://www.rural.gov, dedicated to rural prosperity by

highlighting federal rural development resources

3. Collaborate with more than 20 federal agencies and

regional commissions through the Rural Prosperity

Interagency Policy Council to support and learn from

RPN communities

Rural People and Places, 

Trends and Opportunities

The Biden-Harris Administration is working hard to 

ensure America’s rural places can leverage economic 

recovery resources, generate diversified economic 

growth, and create prosperity in their communities.

The federal government makes billions of dollars 

available each year to invest in community and 

economic development projects and activities. For many 

communities – particularly the most distressed – these 

resources can be difficult to identify and access. Moreover, 

the COVID-19 pandemic exposed limitations in the typical 

competitive grant model, shedding light on access gaps 

in resources for rural people and communities.

The mere availability of competitive program resources 

isn’t enough to build equitable, sustainable rural prosperity. 

Rural places need new, intentionally developed service 

delivery methods to support rural priorities and objectives. 

The Rural Partners Network provides such a framework.

Find out more information and access our growing 

compilation of rural resources at https://www.rural.gov. 

For questions, please contact 

RuralPartnersNetwork@usda.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

August 2022